Question about Light?

I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?
I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it
ever been tested for.?
If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?
Mick

Micky wrote:
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?
I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it
ever been tested for.?
If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

Radio waves _are_ travelling at the speed of light.

A much more likely reason for using light in deep space communications
would be using lasers for the extremly tight beam that lasers allow,
which would enhance transmission privacy (anybody wanting to listen in
must be close enough to the laser beam to intercept parts of it (not
everything, since that would be noticed) and one might be able to cross
larger distances with less power (depends of how power efficient
communication lasers might be compared to radio), although you need to
able to do _very_ precise targetting. Oh, and things like dust or rocks
between you and your communication partner will be _really_ annoying.

Regards,
Alex.
--
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
looks like work." -- Thomas A. Edison

In message , "Micky"
wrote:

I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?
I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it ever been tested for.?
If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

The "speed of light" is actually the speed of electromagnetic
radiation. Radio is a form of electromagnetic radiation, and thus
travels at the "speed of light". The only difference is
frequency/wavelength.

What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?

That's kind of like asking whether you'll see more with red contact
lenses or a blue ones. It depends on what you're looking for, and
whether it shows up better in red or blue light. With ETIs we don't
know whether they are more likely to be seen in radio or visible light
since, pretty much by definition, they can choose which band (if any)
to transmit in. So either, neither or both might be the technology
that finds them if they're there.

--
R.G. "Stumpy" Marsh.

If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a
technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?
Mick


Radio and light travel at the same speed

Norman

Here, Micky wrote:
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna.

I believe you are referring to this:
http://www.aip.org/pnu/2004/split/701-1.html

I suppose that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio
signals.?

No, radio signals travel at the speed of light.

I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.

Well, it's light. We have telescopes to receive light signals. It's
not clear that this technology would make a more sensitive telescope,
although I suppose it might.

--Z

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*
* Make your vote count. Get your vote counted.

"Micky" wrote in message
...
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?

No. It wouldn't.
Light and radio travel at precisely the same speed.
The difference is in the frequency (i.e. the wavelength).
Due to light's higher frequency, more information can
be sent in the same amount of time, however the travel
time between the two beams would remain identical..

I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it
ever been tested for.?

When this new antenna is slightly more developed
the plan is to do just that.

If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a
technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

Radio is the speed of light.


What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?

More info in less time. I'm all for that.
However, problems remain.
The weather affects light more than radio.
It remains to be seen how dependable
it is, etc.
The potential, on the other hand, is
absolutely huge.

"Micky" wrote in message
...
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?

No. It wouldn't.
Light and radio travel at precisely the same speed.
The difference is in the frequency (i.e. the wavelength).
Due to light's higher frequency, more information can
be sent in the same amount of time, however the travel
time between the two beams would remain identical..

I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it
ever been tested for.?

When this new antenna is slightly more developed
the plan is to do just that.

If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a
technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

Radio is the speed of light.


What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?

More info in less time. I'm all for that.
However, problems remain.
The weather affects light more than radio.
It remains to be seen how dependable
it is, etc.
The potential, on the other hand, is
absolutely huge.

Micky wrote:

I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna.

An antenna is a device which is able to gather, concentrate and detect
electromagnetic radiation. When the electromagnetic radiation has
wavelengths in the visible light part of the spectrum, we usually refer to
such an antenna as a "telescope".

suppose that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?

All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light - regardless of
wavelength.

I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from
other planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal
already.

Not so. Check out the Optical SETI homepage:
http://www.oseti.net/

What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type
for communication, has it
ever been tested for.?
If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a
technology that is the speed of light rather than radio.

Remember, radio waves travel exactly as fast as light.

What are your views on the potential of this technology out of
interest.? How usefull is this compared with radio.?

The primary benefits of using light rather than radio or microwaves is 1)
the enhanced ability for spatial concentration of the beam, 2) an increased
data rate.

/steen

Micky wrote:
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?
Nope.
Light and radio are both composed of photons, and both go at the same
speed.
(there may be barely measurable differences in the atmosphere, but once
in space, they go at the same speed.)

Um... radio waves travel at the speed of light too... they are simply on
a different wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum than visible light.

Nalin.


Micky wrote:
I was reading somewhere that they made the first light antenna. I suppose
that would make it 100's of times quicker than radio signals.?
I know we have 100's of antenna's looking for readio signals from other
planets but do we have any looking for this type of signal already.
What if Aliens only ever used this type of signal or a simular type for
communication, has it
ever been tested for.?
If I were an intelligent being surely it would make sense using a technology
that is the speed of light rather than radio.

What are your views on the potential of this technology out of interest.?
How usefull is this compared with radio.?
Mick